Air conditioning cushion insole unit



July 2, 1957 H. BRAHM AIR CONDITIONING CUSHION INSOLE UNIT Filed May 20, 1954 v INVENTOR 4/f/,fyey .eraf/M,

ATTORNEYS United States Patent() AIR CONDITIONING CUSHION INSOLE UNIT Harry Brahm, Balboa, Canal Zone Application May 20, 1954, Serial No. 431,243

2 Claims. (Cl. 36--3) The present invention pertains to anair conditioning, cushion insole unit that may take the form of an insertable insole, or one `adapted for embodiment in a standard shoe construction.

Many present wearers of shoes appreciate and demand the comfort of a cushion sole member but object to rubber outsoles, and find that the use of an ordinary insertable cushion insole tends to increase the problem of perspiration. It is `also well known that excessive perspiration of the feet is a contributing factor to athletes foot and similar skin diseases.

Therefore, it is the object of this invention to provide a cushion insole that will supply the desired comfort and at the same time minimize rather than increase the tendency of the feet to perspire.

The principal purpose of this invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive cushion insole construction that will continually supplyv air to the forward part of the foot and, particularly, to the toe area.

More specifically, it is intended to provide a cushion insole of laminated construction having a complete cushion layer of rubber-like material sealed between a top cover layer and a bottom insole blank, and equipped with means for continually drawing air in at the heel end and discharging it in the forward foot contacting area.

A further specific object of the invention resides in the provision of a laminated insole construction of the character indicated with a one-Way air inlet valve disposed in its upper surface at the heel end extremity and having a plurality of very tine openings in the forward part of the cover layer so that air may be taken in at the heel end, pumped forwardly through the rubber-like layer, and discharged through the line openings at a rate -such that air has little tendency to flow into the insole through said openings.

It is also an inventive object to provide a modified form of the basic invention in which the intermediate rubber-like layer is divided transversely a short distance rearwardly of the small, forward, top layer openings and includes an adhesively attached pliable layer extend- ICCV Fig. 4 is a partially longitudinal section taken on the line'IV-IV of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is la fragmentary, partially sectioned perspective view of a welt shoe showing a moditication of the insole unit of this invention embodied in a shoe of such construction.

In Fig. 1 the reference numeral 20a indicates the basic cushioning and air conditioning insole unit of this invention intended for a right foot. As appears better in Figs. 2 and 3, this unit comprises a relatively thin insole blank 22, which is preferably of leather, although suitable plastic, fabric, fbrous and other known materials having suitable properties may be used. The blank 22 is substantially covered by a full length intermediate layer 24a of finely porous sponge rubber, or the like, having its marginal edge beveled or tapered as shown in Fig. 3. Other rubber-like and resilient materials having lche required characteristics may be used for the intermediate layer. The intermediate sponge rubber layer 24a is completely covered by a top layer 26 which is pliable and substantially air impervious. It has been found that a friction fabric material having a smooth out-turned face resembling dull oilcloth is well suited to this purpose.

The insole and cover layers 22 and 26 are sealed together around their marginal portions, as best shown in Fig. 3. This bonding can best be accomplished by a marginal adhesive layer 23 and a continuous row of stitching 30 passing through the covering members 22 and 26 and said ladhesive layer. With plastic materials the sealing may be accomplished by electrostatic fusion, heat application, or various other ways according to the speeitic nature of the materials used. It is also' to be noted that the under side and plane face of the sponge rubber layer 24a is adhesively bonded as at 32 tothe adjacent upper face of the vslip or inner sole blank 22'. The composite insole structure thus producedrhasfa maximum thickness of approximately 5/16 of an inch when uncompressed, and is generally convex on the upper surface between the* secured marginal portions, with an area` of maximum thickness on the inner shank edge for underlying iand mildly supporting the inner longitudinal arch of the foot. Compression of the cushion layers y24a at the opposite edge under foot pressure tends tov increase the arch supporting effect. Y

It will be observed in Figs. land 2 that the forward portion of the cover layer 26 is provided with a plurality of ne, well-spaced holes'or perforations34a, "lying generally in the `area upon which the toes rest.

The'sectioned partial perspective view of Fig.l 5 shows the manner in which any of the several insolefconstruce tions disclosed herein can be incorporate'din` the coning over the forward wall of its rear portion, with several enlarged openings so that the part of the insole between the heel end inlet valve and these enlarged openings forms a separate pumping chamber.

These and other objects of the invention resulting in economy of manufacture and efficiency in use will appear in the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of this invention, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a top plan view of an insole unit broken away in the forward area to show the details of the pumping chamber construction;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on line Il-II of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a further cross-sectional view taken on line III-lll of Fig. l;

struction of a welt shoe'WS of knowntype. The-lower face of the vinsole blank 22a'is provided with a sewing rib R stitched to Aa welt W, secured as by stitching ST to an loutsole S. The space .between the opposite side portions of rib R contains a filler F.

A one-way' air intake valve 50 is mounted in and secured to the central', marginal heel en'dextremity of the insole unit 20a, as 'shown in Fig. l. lThis `valveStlmaybe of plastic-construction and ygenerally similar `to the lonesti-isclosed in H. Brahm Patent No. 2,474,815. The adjacent endt of the porous rubber insole layer 24a is suitably recessed to receive the valve 50, which may be secured between the insole blank 22 and the impervious cover layer 26 by an extension of the stitching 30, and by adhesive bonding of the contacting surfaces. The valve 50 includes an apertured cover plate on the outside of the fabric layer 26, this plate providing the means for air to reach an inwardly opening rubber apper strip through an apertured upper part of la valve chamber body. By means of this valve arrangement air can be drawn into the valve chamber body, and, upon the com-r pression of the heel` portion of the insole and closing of the valve apper, discharged forwardly through the adjacent recessed part of the sponge rubber layer. The sole, layer`22, cover layer 26` and the porous,` resilient intermediate layer 24a constitute a pumpingchamber.0 l While the 4operationof Vthe 4insole unit 20a has been generally indicated, it should be further explained that with the unit in a shoe worn by a wearer, alternate compression and release of the porous sponge rubberlayer 24a in response to footmovement contracts and expands the pumping chamber to cause air to be drawn in through the one-way valve `50, which is in a position free from heel interference, .andforce or pump such trapped air forwardly through the porous layer` and out through the fine forward openings 34aof the` foot contacting layer 26 at a rate greater than any` incidental return iiow through -said forward openings. In this manner a continuous and beneficial circulation of air is continuously produced in the toe area, and at the same time the foot is comfortably supported at all points by the rcsiliently yielding intermediate layer 24a.

In the insole unit 20a of Figs. l to 5, it will be seen that the porous rubber layer 24a is completely severed and separated along a transverse line 36 rearwardly of the perforations 34a, into what may be referred to as forward and rearward cushion portions. An airtight dividing wall is formed between these two rubber layer portions by a strip 38 of soft, pliable, airtight material, such for example as a thin rubberized fabric. The strip 38 is wrapped around the front edge of the rearward cushion portion of the intermediate layer 24a so that there are top and bottom parts 40 and 42 havingpan intermediate forward connecting wall 44. The strip 38 is adhesively secured to all contacted surfaces of the sponge rubber layer and also to the insole blank 22 and the cover layer 26. The lateral ends of these strips 38 are preferably anchored in the opposite sides of the seams formed between insole layer 22 and cover layer 26. Several transversely spaced, small holes 46 are formed in the forward wall 44 of strip 38 for discharge into enlarged, opposed recesses 48 in the rear edge of the forward and toe portion of the sponge rubber layer.

The one-way inlet valve 50 is utilized in the same manner, but the forward end 'of the pumping chamber is defined by the strip 38.

In operation, the air forced forwardly through the dividing wall openings 46, 46 into the recesses 48, 48 formed in the forward cushion portion and thence through the -coverolgxenings 34a, 34a and against the toe area of the foot. The principal advantage of this construction is that the solid face of the rear cushion portion acts against the wall openings 46, 46 to impede the reverse flow of air, thus establishing a preponderance of air flow toward the toes.

It will now be fully apparentthat this invention affords a simple, inexpensive cushion insole unit that is adapted to be insertable in a shoe, or built therein as a special insole Yduring manufacture. In the illustrative embodiment the toe area is continually supplied with fresh air while the shoe containing the insole unit is in use. It has also been found that the remainder of the foot sole is rendered more comfortable by the cooling effect of fresh air tlowing lengthwise through the insole unit.

While a preferred form of this novel insole unit has been disclosed, it is to be understood that various changes can be made in the details of construction, materials, and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.l

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as novel and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. An yair conditioning cushion insole unit comprising an insole blank, a porous, rubber-like cushion layer secured to one surface of said blank and being substantially coextensive therewith, said cushion layer being transversely severed into forward and rearward portions, an air impervious cover layer of pliable material extending over said cushion layer in conforming relation and bonded in sealing relation to the marginal portion of said blank, a pliable strip of airtight material wrapped around the severed edge of the said rearward portion and adhesively secured thereto and to the insole blank and the cover layer to form a dividing wall between the cushion layer portions and a rearward pumping chamber, said strip having av plurality of small holes therethrough between said forward and rearward cushion portions, and said forward cushion portion having recesses respectively opposite said strip holes, and a one-way air intake valve mounted in the heel margin portion of said insole unit and arranged to pass air into the pumping chamber, the area of the cover layer overlying the forward cushion layer portion having a plurality of small spaced openings for discharging air under pressure from the insole unit.

2. An air conditioning cushion insole unit comprising a fibrous insole blank, a porous sponge rubber cushion layer secured to one surface of said blank and being substantially coextensive therewith, said cushion layer being transversely severed into forward and rearward portions, an air impervious cover layer of pliable material having a smooth outer face extending over said cushion layer in conforming relation and bonded in sealing relation to the marginal portion of said blank, a pliable strip of rubberized fabric wrapped around the severed edge of the said rearward portion and adhesively secured thereto and to the insole blank and the cover layer to form a dividing wall between the cushion layer portions and a rearward pumping chamber, said strip having a plurality of small holes therethrough between said forward and rearward cushion portions, and said for ward cushion portion having recesses respectively opposite said strip holes, and a one-way air intake valve mounted in the heel margin portion of said insole unit and arranged to pass air into the pumping chamber, the area of the cover layer overlying the forward cushion layer portion being provided with a plurality of small spaced openings for discharging air under pressure from the insole unit.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,260,942 Price et al. Mar. 26, 1918 1,596,923 Cooney Aug. 24, 1926 2,474,815 Brahm July 5, 1949 2,560,120 Miller et al July 10, 1951 

